Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-04-16
THE OLD SETTLER.
HE rxLlearENs LITTLE rE1kn.

fingered stiffspringcd patent clothes
pm, and cast glance at the old cat that
lay snoozing in the splint-bottom rock
ing chair, ''Grandpop, said he, "what
are the wild waves saying?"
The Old Settler looked up from the
pages Of the local paper, in which he was
reading an account of hog guessing
match that had como off over at the Cor.
ners. He scowled over his spectacles at
Peleg, who fitted the clothespin carefully
on his nose and closed his mouth to see
how long he could hold his breath.
Il hain't heerd no wild waves a yellin
anything very loud lately, ez ! knows
on, said the Old Settler. (Which wild
waves is it th't-M'riarl Whack that
young un on the back or he'll bust ev'ry
gizzard he's got.'
Peleg had hung on to his breath until
his eyes began TO bulge out, and his face
was as red as his grandfather's nose. He
succumhed to the inevitable before his
grandmother could give him the whack.
He opened his mouth and started his
lungs to working again, but left the
ciothespln on his nose. His grandfather
glared at him for a moment, and then
said:
WITCH wild waves is it th't yer speakin
"Theb that rips and roars arou'd Co.
ney's ilud, replied Peleg, his utterance
stopped by the pressure of the clothespin
on his nose.
The Old Settler reached for his cane.
'Peleg" exclaimed his grandmother.
take that clothespin often your nose
Ye gimme cold in the head to hear We!
What was ye meanin' ter say7p
Peleg removed the clothespin and re-
peated his remark. "Them that rips and
roars around Coney's Island, that's what
l said. What are they saying, grand
popp
"Coney's Island!" exclaimed the Old
Settler "Wat in Sam Hill do you know
bout Coneys Island, or bout any wild
waves ez mowt or ez mowtn't be rippin'
an a roarin' p
"The new school ms'am from town
boards to Bill Simmons's, " replied Peleg,
'and t'other night she was telling us
about Coney's Island. She's been there
lots, end she told US that she could set
on the bank down there and listen to
what the wild waves was saying all day
long. / asked her what they was saying,
and she said: oh much, little boyn
She didn't say how much or what it was.
and asked Bill Simmons if he knowed.
and he said he did but wasn't giving it
away. Go ask yer grandpop, Bill said.
If he can't tell you, says Bill, the
worlds coming to an end. That's how
] come to ask you, grandpop. Can't you
tell me?n
"Yes, b'gosh, kim exclaimed the
Old Settler, shaking his fist in the direc-
tion of the Simmons homestead. II kin
tell ye! Them wild waves is a sayin', ar
they're yoopin it out SOS it kin be heerd
from Coney's Island to sundown, th't the
bes' thing YOU kin do is TO keep shet o.
that Bill Simmons, or THAI shingle out
thar in the yard that'll make the proper
est kind Of n paddle, an if that paddle is
made an used you'll hcf TO stan up fer
more'n a week wen We cat yer slap jacks
an 'lasses. That's wat them wild waves
is sayin', Peleg, an it's yer poor oil gram
pop th'ts tcllin' yc so, b'gosht'lmighty,
am yc won't listcn.'
Peleg sat down by the side of the
splint bottom rocking chair He said
nothing. Lut thought TO himself, as he
toyed with the clothespin, that if the
wild waves had said all that to the
schoolma'm, she must have been more
than pleased at their remarks about the
paddle and the slap jacks. The Old Set
tier picked up his paper again. Peleg's
grandmother took her knitting and went
of TO the ''scttin' room, and his grand
fsthcr, after finishing the account Of the
hog guessing which stated that Pete
llellriggle had won the hog and remark
ing that il Pete didn't trade the hog oil
for bar'l o. cider the winnin' o. it'd be
lucky thing fer his family, cz they'd
ben browsin' on sassyfrax all winter, he
turned TO Peleg and said:
Yes. my son, that's wat them wild
waves is Siyin'. an ez yer gran'mammy
haip't in hesrin' TO git worried at our
talkin', I'll tell W wat some wild waves
done 10 me wunst Them waves didn't
say pothin', but they jist got up an done.
This happened wen were boy, consid'-
able many year ago. 'Twere on the
ninth day OF April, 1922, in the arter-
noon. ] were list comm seven year old.
Their had ben big rain fer two or three
days, an / know'd th't Slopick Creek
must be list right fer sucker iishin', an 30
] sucaked my pap's chestnut pole an
hossLiir line odten the barn an cut cross